Five Hundred Adults Achieve Qualifications in the Workplace Thanks to Braintree College and European Social Funding

Five hundred adults over the last two years have achieved qualifications in the workplace as a result of European Social Funding and training delivered through Braintree College.

The European Social Fund (ESF) Projects Manager, Julia Hiley said: “It is so often hard for adults to re-train when they are working and have normal daily lives to manage. That’s why we were so pleased to receive funding that has enabled us to take the training to adults in their workplace. We have worked closely with more than 112 employers throughout Essex in a huge variety of settings. Thanks to the efforts of the College ESF staff, the learners’ commitment and the employers’ goodwill, more adults can now say they have better skills and higher qualifications.”

Julia continued: “I am especially delighted with the effort and achievements of three members of staff at The Swan Inn at Chappel, Essex, who between them have gained seven qualifications, which is an excellent achievement.”

Gwyneth Martin, Manager at The Swan, explained the reason why she took up the offer of training for her staff and described the benefits to her business: “As a former teacher myself I know how important it is to provide opportunities for young people to develop their skills and gain recognised qualifications.

The business has certainly benefited as Gary, Michelle and Laura have put into practise their communication and planning skills. All three have gained self confidence and are ready to share ideas; together they have produced checklists which are contributing to successful planning and preparation in many areas of their work. The tutors from Braintree College have been extremely positive, encouraging and supportive as Gary, Michelle and Laura have progressed through their training.”

Michelle Raczi is responsible for staffing at The Swan and she achieved NVQ Customer Service Level 3. Michelle said: “I learned a lot about effective communication and this is helping me when I plan timetables for staffing and when I am talking to our customers. I have learned more about my job and feel that my confidence has grown. I also think that we are a stronger team as we have a better understanding of our roles and responsibilities.”

Laura Sibley achieved Adult Literacy Level 1, Adult Numeracy Level 1, Food Hygiene Level 2 and NVQ Customer Service Level 2, and she is responsible for product procurement at The Swan. Laura said: “We all wanted to build up our skills base so that we could work more effectively and we wanted to gain qualifications that would enhance employment opportunities. I have especially enjoyed applying the knowledge I’ve gained to my work here. We all feel that it is important that we are positive role models for new, young staff in terms of our commitment to training and our level of professionalism.”

Gary Hinkin achieved Food Hygiene Level 2 and NVQ Professional Cookery Level 2, and he is second chef, with responsibility for food preparation at The Swan. Gary said: “There are many new bits to the job that I’ve learned during the training, for example the meat stock, weights and cuts. The checklists that we produced are helping me in the daily and weekly planning, and I am really enjoying the variety of work and responsibility. We all agree that we would recommend other people who are in similar jobs to make the most of an opportunity to train at work and to go for it!”